Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward received one of the greatest honors a player can be given, as he had his high school field named after him this week.
Forest Park High School and Clayton County public schools have renamed the playing surface Hines Ward Field at Tara Stadium.
“What a privilege to have my old high school field named after me,” Ward said on Twitter. “Many thanks to Forest Park and Clayton County for this big honor.”
Ward was an athletic, standout quarterback at Forest Park where he was twice named Clayton County Offensive Player of the Year.
While Ward did have success playing quarterback his sophomore season at Georgia, he ultimately shined as a wide receiver for the Bulldogs. He caught 144 passes for 1,965 yards and eleven touchdowns over four seasons.
Ward was drafted in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He remains the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (1,000), receiving yards (12,083) and receiving touchdowns (85).
On April 13, Ward was named one of the head coaches for the relaunch of the XFL along with fellow Steelers great Rod Woodson.